Posted 07 July 2018 - 02:29 PM

He heard the footsteps pounding though the building as they charged to the rich old man's office. Odium had been here for sometime. Waiting. Examining. The old noble had enjoyed a great deal of personal gain from the Galactic Alliance occupation. It was cleverly hidden in small transactions and well distributed assets. But the pattern was there like a picture carefully hidden in another. Once you first find it, it's all you can see.

The man burst through the door, far to worried about escape and far to confident in his personal security. He went straight for his safe, there had been a disruptor, fake identification and copious amounts of unregistered galactic credits. It was too bad the combination was so simple. He dropped in from of the hidden safe and slid the floor panel aside as Odium turned in the chair at the man's desk.

"You know." He began to speak and gained the shock he had hoped for, "Every previous revolutionary movement in galactic history has made the same basic mistake. They’ve all seen power as a static apparatus, as a structure. And it’s not. It’s a dynamic, a flow system with two possible tendencies. Power either accumulates, or it diffuses through the system. In most societies, it’s in accumulative mode, and most revolutionary movements are only really interested in reconstituting the accumulation in a new location. A genuine revolution has to reverse the flow. And no one ever does that, because they’re all too scared of losing their conning tower moment in the historical process. If you tear down one agglutinative power dynamic and put another one in its place, you’ve changed nothing. You’re not going to solve any of that society’s problems, they’ll just reemerge at a new angle. You’ve got to set up the microsystems that will deal with the problems on its own. You’ve got to build the structures that allow for diffusion of power, not re-grouping. Accountability, demodynamic access, systems of constituted rights, education in the use of political infrastructure. Without these things, you're engaging in childish ego stroking and just lashing out from selfish pubescent angst that only proves you're the last one that needs to rebel anything."

"HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!" The man demanded as if out of all the concerns he could possibly have Odium's means of entry was the one he should be worried about.

Odium stood. His simple dark clothing nothing near the opulence that half of this world's nobility would wear even while engaging in a planet wide Coup. He gave the man a small apologetic smile.

"What should concern you, is less how I entered and more you you'll exit." Odium replied.

"Guards!" He shouted.

"Gone." Odium replied. "I'm afraid it's time to answer for your crimes against the crown."

"I have committed no-" He began.

"You have committed the crime of unwarranted pride and utter stupidity." Odium interupted. "I'm sorry. This conversation is closed, sadly."

Odium raised the man's disruptor and fired. The blueish bolt streaked the short distance and added a definitive punctuation to his purpose. He dropped the weapon on the man's body as he walked out and lifted the comlink to his lips.

"Tetan defense head has been neutralized." He said calmly as he moved to the landing pad, "Heading to rendezvous at the Iron Citadel."

Posted 07 July 2018 - 03:14 PM

Sipping from a glass of fine Alderaanian wine, the well-dressed Falleen smiled towards the elderly man seated in front of him. It was a gesture of warmth, a gesture that invited those present to trust him, and yet the truly perceptive would notice something wrong with it, a certain predatory tone that seemed to stick with the slight man whenever he went, however sweet his words. "... and that's why I'm sure you'll do just fine. There are those who will certainly consider you a traitor, but with the right words in the right ears ..."

As if on cue, a small device on his wrist vibrated slightly, so slightly that no one but its wearer could possibly know. "... all your troubles are sure to go away. For as long as it takes you to consolidate your holdings, at least."

Nodding happily, almost excessively so, the elderly man spoke with a strangely cheerful tone, his two guards smiling empty-headedly. "Thank you, Mr. Zethrux. I don't know what I would have done without you. You truly are as good as they say."

Smiling yet again, he nodded amiably. "You have no idea. Still, there is one thing that remains to be done: I just need you to transfer the manual overrides to the orbital defence grid to my office, and we'll be done here." At that, his voice turned cold, forceful. The other man frowned, frowned deeply, sweat trickling down his forehead, then he smiled widely. "Of course, anything for a dear friend."

Once the transfer was complete, the Falleen rose from his seat, shaking the elderly man's hand firmly. "Good choice, Mr. Hocsher. I'm sure it will be for the best." Striding towards the door, he allowed it to slide open, revealing an open corridor and two guards, then stopped, as if in thought. Then, voice ice cold, he spoke. "Kill them." Without hesitation, one of the guards in the room pulled out a blaster pistol, gunning down his two surprised comrades in the corridor before turning his blaster on his friend. Just like that, three forms slumped to the ground, the elderly man finally breaking out of his trance.

"Destter... why? I've... I've known you since you were just..." Striding forth, the blank-faced man dropped his blaster and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him towards the balcony door. Tearing open the door, he pushed them both towards the balcony, eyes the only indication of the horror he felt. "I'm... I'm sorry." At that, a single tear poured forth from his eyes, before he pushed them both off the balcony, a pair of screams audible for a few seconds before ending in a sickening crunch. Smiling in pleasure, the slightly-built Falleen activated the comlink on his wrist, tone dry, humorous in its own sick way. "An old man had an accident, here is something to remember him by. I'll be sure to attend the wake."

Posted 07 July 2018 - 05:38 PM

My tongue runs the length of my jowls as drool dribbles to the floor. The smell of roasting meat is prevalent in the air and the hardwood of the manor gives it a hickory tinge. My objective was plain and clear. Ironscale and myself were too eliminate a prominent house of nobles whom worshiped the light side of the force. Even in the midst of a coup they sought to pamper themselves with a party. The poor fools believed that this would instil a sense of security over their fiefdom, but all it truly did was make the opposition easy targets. We trapped them within their manor and torched them alive.

Their screams filled the air as skin boiled from their bones. By the time help arrived the building was smoldering rubble and we had dissolved back into the thick foliage. It was an easy job with few Jagganath points gained, but one that needed doing and needed doing quietly. The fire for all intents and purposes appeared as though it were an freak accident, it wasn’t very difficult. We simply planted an incendiary bomb in the great stone oven. Crude, but effective. The place went up like a box of kindling. I was not worried about the authorities looking to deeply into the ordeal.

The chief inspector and his gaggle of arse kissers were in attendance and the person who would next take his place was already working for us. It was all too perfect. My only regret was not being able to sink my serrated teeth into a morsel of noble flesh. Ironscale and I boarded our nondescript freighter and prepared to take flight. I place wrist to mouth and speak into the secure comm channel that was assigned to me.

“House Freed is no more,” I hiss.

Our freighter melts into the traffic of peasants as they go about their daily activities completely unawares of the change that was already taking place all around them...

Posted 07 July 2018 - 11:32 PM

Ankol stood on a makeshift stage that was once someone's speeder, the streets were flooded with the common people and a few young nobles alike waiting to hear him speak. Ankol was humbly dressed for today plain brown robes nothing to really stand out. Today was a very important one for the krath as months of planning and stoking the fires that lay within the people finally came to fruition. Ankol's part in the plan was a simple one but all too important, a distraction was needed to keep the public eye off the drastic change that was about to take place. Two commoners stood at his side Ankol like having commoners near him, it shown that anyone could approach him and that they would be welcome to do so.

"People of Empress Teta, I stand here today with you in a time of uncertainty! Today the Galactic Alliance has fallen all across the core systems are rising up and taking back their worlds, now the time has come for us to take back our world! " cheers washed over Ankol emboldening him. "We will take back our homes from the nobles that dared to side with our oppressors! We will restore the rightful rule back to our world, to our people and only our people not warlords with no intent to protect our interests! I urge you to take to the streets claim back what is rightfully yours, tear down the propaganda of the galactic alliance that is poisoning our youth! If not for yourselves but for our future!"

Ankol stepped down to cheers, the people started to do want any emboldened crowd would after being told to take back what was stolen. The riots would help the others from being discovered all the while keeping the security forces busy. A smile grew on Ankol's face, to the unknowing individual it would be a face of a proud man but the smile hid a deeper meaning.

Posted 08 July 2018 - 12:35 PM

The tap-tapping of heels against tile echoed across the dull gray walls inside of the Iron Citadel, a quiet exhale of breath the only other sound to permeate the silence during the slow stroll through the entrance to the massive building. The citadel had been home, once, but she'd been forced to choose between her faux-freedom under the Alliance or a life with the father of her child. Now it was a tomb for those opportunists that had risen up like parasites to take her family's legacy away from her and seize her power for themselves. Leeches, the dogs that had served the Alliance to the bitter end, each and every one of them. Only days ago the Krath had began their violent and bloody coup d'etat, slaughtering the puppets that lived in her home like the usurpers that they were.

But who was she, this grim, red-headed, Tetan that strolled through the halls of the royal palace as if she owned the place?

"Disgraceful." She said, her voice a disgusted rasp that pierced loudly through the air. The woman, coming to a halt at the now-empty throne that was stained with blood splatter and dark singes from blaster-fire, was the woman that had been coerced into abdicating her throne some months ago in the middle of a confrontation between the First Order and the Galactic Alliance - the woman that had returned to reclaim what was hers. Long auburn hair framed her face did little to mask the bright amber hue of her eyes, her clothing dark to symbolize the mourning she felt for her home world to have gone for so long without her at its helm. She turned, overlooking the hall filled with bodies strewn haplessly across the majestic tiled floor, and sat on the bloodied throne.

Posted 09 July 2018 - 04:42 AM

He walked calmly to the airspeeder. Black hard soled boots tapped out a determined rhythm that echoed in the silence of his approach. His mask back in place he could feel his own breath build condensation on the inside of the cold facsimile of a face. His simple black uniform rustled from the down wash of the repulsorlift engines as he neared the speeder. He wore no rank insignia. No badges of honor adorned his chest to cry out his achievements. His only ostentation was the metallic face he had chosen to show and the silver and black cylinder that hung near at hand on his belt.

The door opened with a smooth mechanical hum as he neared and his former Master's Gand servant stepped from the back to allow Odium to enter. The strange insectoid had struck a bargain with the ruthless Nautolan years ago and it had evidently carried over after the Sith Lord's death. The being inclined its bulbous head in acknowledgement as Odium moved into the speeder before the Gand followed and sat silently beside him. The speeder moved swiftly into the airlanes. As riots started inn the working class districts of Cinnagar. The people stormed fromer alliance buildings and targeted abandoned Alliance properties. He was almost amused enough to smile.

The airspeeder coursed through the sky as chaos reigned below. Reports reached him of success in the other areas as well. Disloyal houses fell, access to resources attained, and the people stirred into a fit of righteous indignation.He couldn't have planned it any better himself.

…

The speeder landed on a body riddled landing pad moments later. Smoke hung like acrid fog in the air as it spewed from destroyed speeders and ships that had thought to try and escape the swift assault of The Krath. They should have known better than resist. The door opened and he stepped out of his speeder after the Gand who watched unblinking with his unsettling multifaceted eyes.The force called to him, stoked the fires of ambition while burning away any would be regret before it had time to form. The bodies were dead. animated or otherwise the matter that composed them was unchanged. He felt nothing for their failure to chose their Empress over a foreign power. He moved smoothly through the carnage, passed smoldering corpses and viscera riddled pools of sanguine life alike with not even a break in stride.

He marched into the throne room, his masked face focused on the lone figure resting once more on the bloodied throne. His dark eyes searched the young woman's features briefly before he continued his approach. She was regal in aspect and bearing. The throne suited her. He moved to the proper distance and took a humble knee, as any good servant would do, and made sure to keep his eyes slightly averted even behind his mask. He wouldn't speak first, neither would he move. Propriety must be maintained, the most powerful illusions were the ones that didn't press the watcher's mind to far, and there is always someone watching.

Posted 09 July 2018 - 01:22 PM

As he strode out of the suite, a safe house that had proven useless against the pervasive tendrils of Krath influence, Thuux smiled slightly, confident that nothing could be traced back to him. The building was chock full of surveillance, of course, but he had taken precautions, precautions that had seemed perfectly sensible to poor old Mr Hocsher, when he still thought the Falleen was working for him; after all, it simply would not do to let prospective clients think that he might double-cross them.

As he strode out of the lobby, a ghost amongst men, security officers ran right past him, weak-wills yielding with little resistance. Puny intellects forced to see nothing but another guest, another faceless passerby. In a way, it was conflicting. The feeling of twisting the weak-willed to his every whim, of imposing his reality upon theirs, was like nothing else. It was exquisite, and yet it was tainted by their weakness. Their imperfection. How could his good mood not be soiled by contempt, when they yielded their very minds with so little resistance? How could he feel anything but hateful disgust, when he was forced to once again face the truth that most so-called sentients were nothing but glorified animals?

No matter, it wasn't as if they mattered anyway. They were pawns, no, less than pawns. Pawns served a higher purpose, whereas they merely existed. Pushing away his musings, for now, the slight figure slid into a waiting airspeeder, unnoticed by the crowds thronging around to get a glimpse of the old man. Up until recently, he had been one of the Galactic Alliance's most influential supporters on Empress Teta, and now he was nothing but another corpse on the pavement. Another victim of a war that had been waged in the shadows, a war that had now found its way into the light. Thuux held him no ill will, yet he felt not a sliver of remorse. He had chosen his side, and he had chosen well. Now the time had come to meet his fellow conspirators, to restore the rightful ruler to her throne, and, more importantly, further Thuux's own interests as a result.

Posted 10 July 2018 - 01:23 AM

For too long she had played the part of mediator, the leader forced to subject her people to the whims of a massive galactic superpower after the demonstration of force that the Alliance put on display over Coruscant so many years ago. She had watched the invasion of Coruscant live through the holonet, watched them break apart the gem of the galaxy, and had been forced through intimidation to submit to the juggernaut as it pierced through the galactic core. It was what had set her aside from the legacy of Tetan royalty that she had inherited, that she had put her people's safety and prosperity above her own desires until it had effected her own safety.

Fiery, amber-colored, eyes shifted their gaze to the arrival of Darth Odium, well aware that anyone taking a knee for her, particularly in such a place and in such a fashion, could only be a member of the faction of the Krath that had long since thrown off the yoke of the former generation that had espoused corruption. "The stage is set, and the pieces are at play. Tonight we complete the retaking of our home and, tomorrow, the system." She said, shifting her gaze from the man to the stained glass windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, shedding light into the throne room. "I trust that the Krath has decided to come together for the good of Teta?" Lily added, looking back down at the man.

She was, of course, alluding to the fractured nature of the group. The elderly of the organization had resigned themselves to money laundering in the corporate arena, making themselves little more than a nuisance for anyone, while many of the youths - particularly those that were actual nobility - made power plays with rivals and the crown. There were, of course, the fringe fanatics that had thought the Krath was a religion one could believe in rather than a following or an idea. It was the youth she was most interested in, though the money from the old sacks of bones that owned many of the carbonite mines on Pharos and Keres could come in handy - she already knew that having the former at her disposal would bring in the sycophants that believed in the more mystic portion of the Krath.

Posted 11 July 2018 - 06:17 PM

The riots were in full effect, supporters of the Galactic Alliance were being torn from their homes, propaganda ripped from buildings. The plan was working, Ankol and agents under him were working to block any video feeds of the riots finding their way on the holonet. Bodies on the holo didn't look good, Ankol didn't want the krath takeover to seem hostile even though it truly was. Ankols part on this was over it was time to leave. A speeder stood by waiting to take him to the iron citadel.

The speeder zoomed through most of the traffic only slowing up when they going closer to the iron citadel. Ankol during the drive observed the streets below, watching as the riots grew.

Ankol touched down on the landing pad and quickly made his way to meet up with Odium, Ankol respected the man even if he was chained to his loyalty to the current ruler. Ankol had a rather different view, he liked the freedom to do as he wished but having someone to answer to didn't sit well with him. Ankol arrived at the throne room, Taking a moment to concentrate he hid himself in the force, the task being a straining one but well worth it in his eyes. He hadn't told anyone yet about his ability to use the force rather he told them the opposite.

Ankol walked in ready to meet with the others. The bodies were the first thing he noticed but pushed pass, ankol stood next to Odium and have a bow but didn't go as far to kneel. Ankol waited to be spoken to out of respect.

Posted 18 July 2018 - 11:47 AM

Moves and counter moves, that was the best way to describe Tetan nobility for ages. They would play the sycophant, bowing, smiling, pleasing those above them while secretly hoping to supplant them. It wasn't their fault. Odium knew why they had become this way. Survival was hardwired into beings, as deeply rooted as the oldest trees in the galaxy, but such were the actions of lesser animals. Rats scurry and maneuver for better nest, better food, better mates, and he would not be seen as a rodent.

He lowered his head as his former master's word echoed in his ears, 'Power is as simple as guiding preception, Orem. Even an invalid can command worlds if they are perceived as powerful, but remember preception is a fickle thing, beings have short memories. Always choose the appropriate time to remind them.' He studied the ground his hot breath rasped within his polished mask.

"I follow your general," he said though he held back his feelings about the young woman, "and I am loyal to you Empress, always will I be loyal to you."

His greatest desire was to watch stars bow to her, but he was a practical being, he knew she would do what she thought best for Teta. He would just have to help her see that the Tetas best was ruling the stars.